Funding Provided to Support Advanced Halibut Tagging Project

The Fish Food and Allied Workers union (FFAW) is partnering with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research at the Marine Institute to use advanced technology to collect data on the Atlantic halibut stock in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. The Honourable Derrick Dalley, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, today announced $24,787 to support this research, which will use sophisticated satellite tagging devices to gather information.

“The Provincial Government is pleased to commit funds to enhance research on the valuable Halibut resource in the northern area of the Gulf of St. Lawrence,” said Minister Dalley. “More than $24,000 has been provided to the FFAW to support the use of satellite tagging technology, which will provide substantial information to assist the Federal Government with making the best possible quota decisions.”

This research project is intended to increase information about the characteristics of halibut in the region, including the migration patterns of these fish.

“The FFAW is very engaged in fishery stewardship and fishery science activity because resource management is a vital issue for our membership,” said David Decker, Secretary-Treasurer of the FFAW. “We appreciate the Provincial Government’s support of this important project, and look forward to working with the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research to enhance the information we have about this valuable halibut resource.”

A minimum of 120 halibut will be tagged with satellite or traditional tags by scientific personnel from the FFAW, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and the Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research.

"This collaborative project reflects the Provincial Government's continued support for fisheries science,” said Dr. Dominique Robert, a Centre for Fisheries Ecosystems Research scientist. “This project brings together fish harvesters, FFAW personnel, and research scientists with the shared goal of providing new information that will be applied to the sustainable use of this resource."

Since 2010, the Provincial Government has committed more than $12 million toward fisheries science to support studies that monitor the status of various fish stocks, as well as the ocean environment and ecosystem that they inhabit.

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2013 10 07                                   12:20 p.m.